Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Stocks
in cell-tower companies — which have been in a general decline on the
prospect of dealing with one less major wireless-carrier customer — are
rising while the carriers involved took a significant drop. Percentage
of growth for the day (10/30) shown below:

SoftBank Group Corp., will reportedly
call off negotiations to merge its subsidiary, Sprint Corp., with
T-Mobile U.S., according to Nikkei Asian Review,
a Japanese financial news agency. It said that SoftBank may approach
T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom as early as tomorrow, to end
the deal. Inside Towers reported on October 13, that the merger was unlikely, citing a Reuters
article that said the Department of Justice would “likely recommend
putting a stop to any further plans” due to anti-trust regulations
blocking its path. Continue Reading

Monday, October 30, 2017

It may soon be easier for towercos to
use drones to assist them in activities like mapping and inspections.
President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of Transportation
and the Federal Aviation Administration to undertake an initiative to
increase government and commercial use of drones.TheUnmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program
would enable safety tests and validate advanced operations for drones
in partnership with state and local governments in certain
jurisdictions. The program is designed to
provide regulatory certainty and stability to local governments and
communities, drone owners and operators who are accepted into the
program, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The program will help the USDOT and
FAA develop a regulatory framework that will allow more complex
low-altitude operations; identify ways to balance local and national
interests; improve communications with local, state and tribal
jurisdictions; address security and privacy risks; and accelerate the
approval of operations that currently require special authorizations. Continue Reading

Friday, October 27, 2017

New
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is leading the agency’s efforts to
streamline wireless infrastructure deployment. In his first speech as a
Commissioner, Carr told attendees of theCompetitive Carriers Association
annual convention yesterday, the FCC intends to vote next month on
several related orders. One eliminates the need for historic
preservation review in cases where providers swap out utility poles that
can hold antennas or other wireless communications equipment. This will
go a long way towards helping carriers as they densify their networks
in preparation for 5G, he said.“5G is going to require a 10- to
100-fold increase in the number of cell sites in the country,” Carr
said. “The current regime is not tailored to support this type of
massive, new deployment. It costs too much, and it takes too long.” So
the Commission is remedying this. Continue Reading

Thursday, October 26, 2017

In
the first FCC oversight hearing with the full complement of five
Commissioners, Chairman Ajit Pai told House lawmakers he’s asking his
colleagues to vote on an item that would eliminate several broadcast
ownership regulations. His goal is to vote on the item at the agency’s
November 16 meeting. He said the item would eliminate rules that ban
cross-ownership of newspapers and broadcast stations in a market, plus
cross-ownership of TV and radio stations in a market.
It would also eliminate the requirement that Joint Sales Agreements for
Television “count” for ownership purposes in a market and establish an
incubator program for new, diverse broadcast station owners.

Democrats on the House Communications
and Technology Subcommittee blasted Pai, saying to them, it’s clear the
changes would benefit Sinclair Broadcasting before its planned merger
with Tribune. Pai said the merger has nothing to do with the item, that
the rules are archaic and hinder broadcasters. “The FCC rules still
presume a market is defined by pulp and rabbit ears,” Pai said, adding
the proposed text would be publicly available today. Continue Reading

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Inside Towers has been reporting the fight between Google and
rural internet service providers versus large carriers over the
licensing of the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)
spectrum. The FCC proposed increasing the size and length of CBRS
licenses to use the mid-band spectrum; CTIA and T-Mobile petitioned the
FCC for the changes. They want carriers to be able to use the spectrum
for 5G. Small carriers and rural ISPs say the changes will crowd out
other users — like them.

The FCC voted to begin a Notice of Public Rulemaking yesterday, and
proposed including longer license terms with the possibility of renewal
and larger geographic license areas. Proponents said the modifications
could help increase incentives for investment, encourage more efficient
spectrum use, and promote robust network deployments in both urban and
rural communities.

Other countries are updating their policies for the 3.5 GHz band to
enable core network deployments of 5G, and the U.S. must do this as
well, noted Commissioner Michael O’Rielly. Looking to “fix the previous
Commission’s missteps,” he called the current definition of the license
geographic areas “flawed.” Continue Reading

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

A Loon balloon getting ready to take flight to Puerto Rico from the Project Loon launch site in Nevada

Project Loon is now up and running in Puerto Rico, supporting
basic communication and some internet connectivity. Google’s been
working with AT&T, the Government of Puerto Rico, the FCC, FAA,
FEMA, spectrum partners and international aviation authorities
to make it happen. Residents with LTE-enabled phones can send and
receive text messages and access information online, according to Alastair Westgarth, head of Project Loon. It’s the first time the technology has been deployed quickly.

“This is the first time we have used
our new … algorithms to keep balloons clustered over Puerto Rico, so
we’re still learning how best to do this,” said Westgarth in ablog post.
“As we get more familiar with the constantly shifting winds in this
region, we hope to keep the balloons over areas where connectivity is
needed for as long as possible.” Continue Reading

Monday, October 23, 2017

After this year’s incentive auction
finished in April, the telecoms that acquired the 600 MHz spectrum
licenses were expected to take up to three years to transition to the
new frequencies. However, T-Mobile has already installed network sites
broadcasting in the spectrum bands it purchased. The carrier acquired
licenses to the spectrum between 617-652 MHZ and 663-698 MHz. It is currently operating in those frequencies in Wyoming and Maine. According to TVTechnology.com,
T-Mobile plans to add more 600 MHz sites in Northwest Oregon, West
Texas, Southwest Kansas, the Oklahoma panhandle, Western North Dakota,
Coastal North Carolina, Central Pennsylvania, Central Virginia and
Eastern Washington, before 2018.The quick turnaround is taking the
former owners of the spectrum by surprise. Television broadcasters and
wireless mic users who have been using the spectrum are scrambling to
abandon the bands quickly. Mark Bishop, T-Mobile’s senior spectrum
manager, requested all relevant parties to cease using the channel
blocks by November 1, 2017. Continue Reading

Friday, October 20, 2017

TO ORDERIn an industry where change comes
frequently, new equipment, improved procedures, climatic events and
accelerated demand have all contributed in pushing a new set of rules
forward in the industry standards and practices. Through the
collaboration of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and
American National Standard Institute (ANSI), those new standards have
been revised and today will be made available to the telecommunications
industry and reissued as the ANSI/TIA-222-H. Although the official
announcement will be made later today, Inside Towers
has been given an exclusive look at the new standards and permission,
via TIA, to publish advanced access to the links to acquire the document
itself.

The cost of the ANSI/TIA-222-H is $750 and it can be purchased by following this link.

“This new revision will keep the
industry moving in the right direction,” Task Group Chairman Mark
Malouf, President of Malouf Engineering Int’l, told Inside Towers. Overseeing
the Editorial Committee and various Ad Hoc Committees was a daunting
task for the Chairman, considering all of the ground that had to be
covered. Beginning the revision in 2013, Malouf coordinated the efforts
and input of over 100 companies comprised of individuals from many
backgrounds including: manufacturers, owners, consulting engineers,
government entities, research and construction industries. Continue Reading

Thursday, October 19, 2017

In a joint venture with Australia’s
Lendlease Group, SoftBank Group Corp. intends to buy approximately 8,000
cellular sites across the U.S.Lendlease will be the joint venture manager, asset manager and development manager.

The new infrastructure company,
Lendlease Towers, aims to partner with major U.S. carriers to roll out
further phases of their infrastructure plans to meet growing demand for
data. The goal is to obtain $5 billion of telecom assets, “over the
medium term,” through a development and acquisition-based strategy, says
a Lendlease spokesman. According to Fox Business,
Sprint Corp. is selling its interest in rooftop transmitters and other
sites to Lendlease Towers, to get the process started. SoftBank
currently owns about 80 percent of Sprint’s outstanding shares. Continue Reading

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

UPDATE Earlier this month, Inside Towers
reported on California’s Senate Bill 649 proposed by Sen. Ben Hueso
(D-San Diego), aiming to lower the build-out cost for wireless
infrastructure, allowing more telecoms to enter the market and compete,
specifically regarding small cells. The decision came down to Gov. Jerry
Brown, who vetoed the bill late Sunday, reported The Mercury News.

In a signing statement, Brown wrote
that while he saw the value in “extending this innovative technology
rapidly and efficiently,” the bill took too much control away from
cities and counties.
Industry trade groups were quick to react. “WIA is disappointed that
Gov. Brown decided to veto this important piece of legislation,” said
Jonathan Adelstein, President and CEO of WIA, “which would have spurred
the widespread deployment of the wireless infrastructure that is needed
to improve network capacity in the near term and provide a foundation
for the deployment of 5G networks going forward. California needs to
enact laws that streamline the permitting process and grant greater
access to public rights-of-way or its residents will be left behind.” Continue Reading

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Communications
in the region have been difficult since the fires broke out last
weekend, with many residents losing their power and struggling to find
reliable cell coverage. State officials said Wednesday morning that the
National Guard has brought in a satellite cell system to help people
connect with loved ones. (see AT&T article below about donating for relief efforts)Of the 77 cell towers knocked out in the fires, all but eight have been restored, according to the California Office of Emergency Services.

AT&T has deployed mobile cell
sites to Santa Rosa, Willits and the Napa Town & County Fairgrounds
to connect customers and emergency responders who have been without
wireless service and connectivity since early Monday. Comcast has
expanded use of its WiFi hotspots to the public for free. Continue Reading

Monday, October 16, 2017

American
Tower Corp. has been helping broadcasters with stations on its towers
develop a repack plan. Of the 987 stations being repacked, the towerco
has 218 licensees on 133 towers, according to James Stenberg, Principal
Engineer, RF Broadcast for American.

The company has categorized the type
of tower work needed, from antenna work to moderate modifications to
complex jobs, such as candelabra towers or heavily loaded smaller
towers, he told attendees at theIEEE Broadcast Symposium in the Washington, D.C. area last Thursday. “There’s a lot of work early on” in the schedule, he said. “The peak is next year.” Continue Reading

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Federal agents from multiple law
enforcement agencies are helping to restore communications in Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Agents from the Drug Enforcement
Agency, Postal Service and others worked with the Air National Guard and
the Air Force to bring and erect at least five AT&T portable cell
phone towers to the San Juan area, according to the Department of
Defense and the carrier. Normally, the towers are trucked in to a
location; this marked the first time the mobile cell towers were flown
to a location in need, according to AT&T.“We can put them wherever they are
needed and once an area gains stable cell communication, we can move
them to the next location,” said Col. Rick Seymour, Alabama National
Guard, who is helping to coordinate the effort.
Moving the portable towers required the Air Force’s heaviest airlifter –
the C-5 Galaxy, flown by the 436th Airlift Wing based at Dover Air
Force Base in Delaware, according to the Air Mobility Command. Continue Reading

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

The FCC granted an experimental
license for Project Loon, led by Google’s parent company Alphabet, to
help provide emergency cell service in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. “More than two weeks after Hurricane Maria struck, millions of
Puerto Ricans are still without access to much-needed communications
services,” said Chairman Pai. Project Loon is a network of balloons that
provides connectivity to users on the ground. Pai called the approach
“innovative” and said more such ideas are needed to restore connectivity
on the island.“I’m glad the FCC was able to grant
this experimental license with dispatch and I urge wireless carriers to
cooperate with Project Loon to maximize this effort’s chances of
success,” said Pai. Project Loon obtained consent agreements to use land
mobile radio spectrum in the 900 MHz band from existing carriers
operating within Puerto Rico. Continue Reading

Monday, October 9, 2017

Governors for Washington and Oregon
said they will jointly issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for potential
alternatives to FirstNet, the broadband public safety communications
network being built by AT&T. They plan to release the RFP this
Friday, with bids due on November 13.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee wrote in a
letter to the Washington Statewide Interoperability Committee, the RFP
would explore available options, stating a “regional solution with our
partners in Oregon” should be looked at, reported Urgent Communications. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown echoed his thoughts. Those who answer the RFPs would submit proposals that cover both states. Continue Reading

Friday, October 6, 2017

There’s
a lot of interest from citizens, states, counties and the federal
government to bring broadband to rural America. The biggest issue is:
“How do you make it feasible?” broadband public safety advocateAndrew Seybold asked rhetorically. “Everyone seems to be focused on fiber to the home,” which is “not economical” in many cases, he says.
Many organizations don’t consider microwave for backhaul or wireless
solutions, he said during a Wednesday webinar organized by the
International Wireless Communications Expo. The topic was “Alternative
Wireless Sites for Increased Coverage.”

He’s high on the FirstNet project, the
nationwide broadband communications network for first responders being
built by AT&T. FirstNet “is required to cover America,” plus it has
enough spectrum for both first responders and citizens, Seybold said. Continue Reading

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Several counties and municipalities
oppose any sharing of the 6 GHz band used by their microwave systems.
Los Angeles County, CA, the City and County of Denver, CO, Kansas City,
MO, Ozaukee County, WI and the Government Wireless Technology &
Communications Association jointly told the Commission they’re worried
about interference with their public safety systems which consist of
numerous tower sites.

They’ve been through two forced
relocations to accommodate carrier interests, including the 800 MHz
re-band and the 2 GHz relocation to create PCS spectrum. “At
a certain point the needs of public safety must take precedence,” they
tell the agency in filed comments, as the FCC is reviewing whether
mid-range bands (3.7-4.1 GHz, 5.925- 6.425 GHz and 6.425-7125 GHz) areappropriate for flexible use.
“Interference from mobile devices is notoriously difficult to locate
for mitigation. Increasing the opportunities for mobile interference
within the band is an unnecessarily high risk,” state the counties and
cities. Continue Reading

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

In
order to jumpstart the communications restoration in Puerto Rico and
the U.S. Virgin Islands, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed allowing
carriers to use their Universal Service Fund allocations. Pai circulated
a proposal among his colleagues for a vote; if passed, the order would
quickly make available up to $96.9 million to repair wireline and
wireless communications in the hurricane-ravaged islands.Pai proposed giving carriers the option to receive those funds before performing the work. “Instead
of receiving a standard monthly payment, carriers could elect this
month to receive seven months’ worth of funding immediately in order to
expedite repair and restoration efforts,” said Pai. He asked his fellow
Commissioners to approve the item as quickly as possible. If that hasn’t
happened by the October 24 meeting, the agency will vote on it then. Continue Reading

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

The U.S. Senate last night voted 52 to
41 to reconfirm FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to a second five-year term
retroactive to July 1, 2016. (Not all 100 senators voted.) The vote
followed party lines, following floor speeches from Democrats blaming
Pai for trying to overturn Net Neutrality to favoring media
consolidation with the pending Sinclair acquisition of Tribune.

Sen. Tom Udall was one of those who
opposed Pai’s reconfirmation, saying he’s “put corporate interests
first” and is “poised to dismantle” the 2015 Open Internet order. Sen.
Elizabeth Warren-(D-MA) chimed in, saying “Pai has worked at breakneck
speed to transform the FCC” from an agency that works on behalf of the
public “to one that works for corporate interests,” specifically citing
the proposed Sinclair-Tribune merger. Her colleague, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) said: “Under Pai the ‘FCC’ stands for ‘Forgetting Consumers and Competition.’” Continue Reading

Monday, October 2, 2017

The three publicly-traded tower
companies, American, Crown Castle and SBA all have a substantial
footprint of sites in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. American Tower and
SBA spoke with Inside Towers last week to give their assessment of the damage and their efforts in trying to turn chaos back into order.American Tower“Of
the sites we’ve been able to gain access to and inspect, it appears
that the structural integrity of our towers has held,” Matt Peterson,
Vice President, Communications, American Tower told Inside Towers.
“However, a substantial amount of the carrier customer equipment on the
towers and at the sites is badly damaged. This damage to carrier
equipment and the loss of electrical power has resulted in very few cell
sites being operational. American Tower has resources on the ground now
who are helping with recovery efforts, performing full site audits on
our 118 towers and identifying priority projects. Peterson said they are
in active discussions with all of their customers to determine their
priority sites and are working with the FCC, FEMA and the Department of
Homeland Security on a coordinated response. “There is a lot to do and
we are working closely with these partners to get as much done as soon
as we can,” Peterson said. Continue Reading

Welcome to Inside Towers!

We’re so excited that you have found your way to our blog to read all about the latest wireless tower news. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our group on LinkedIn, where you can network and discuss topics with other members of the tower industry. If you ever have any tower news, feel free to share it with us at editor@insidetowers.com.

FREE Limited Time Charter Subscirption

About Inside Towers

Inside Towers is written for the wireless tower industry. There is plenty of news and information for wireless, but there is very little news targeted to towers specifically. There is no other available source of daily tower news and information written for the tower owners, managers, and supporting businesses.